Kiss of the Spider Woman
by Manuel Puigliterary work· published 1976
Shop for this title via the links below.
Kiss of the Spider Woman (Spanish: El beso de la mujer araña) is a 1976 novel by Argentine writer Manuel Puig. It depicts the daily conversations between two cellmates in an Argentine prison, Molina and Valentín, and the intimate bond they form in the process. It is generally considered Puig's most successful work. The novel was translated into English by Thomas Colchie in 1979. Puig adapted the novel into a stage play in 1983. The novel has also been adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 1985, a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical in 1993, and a 2020 television special episode of Katy Keene. A film adaptation of the Broadway musical was released in 2025.
Adaptations (2)
Kiss of the Spider Woman has been adapted into 2 films, from 1985 to 2025.
Kiss of the Spider Woman1985 · film · 120 min · dir. Hector Babenco · IMDb ↗The story of two radically different men thrown together in a Latin American prison cell. One is Valentin, a journalist being tortured for his political beliefs. The other is Molina, a gay window-dresser who fills their lonely nights by spinning romantic fantasies drawn from memories of old movies.
Kiss of the Spider Woman2025 · film · 129 min · dir. Bill Condon · IMDb ↗Valentín, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna.
